


red light, green light

by words_unravel



Series: hs bingo prompt fills (2010 card) [1]
Category: Bandom, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Community: hs_bingo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-03
Updated: 2010-12-03
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:24:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1401334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_unravel/pseuds/words_unravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[<i>prompt:</i> <span class="ljuser i-ljuser"></span><a class="i-ljuser-profile" href="http://hs-bingo.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://hs-bingo.livejournal.com/"></a><b>hs_bingo</b> - bus ride]</p>
            </blockquote>





	red light, green light

* * *

_[junior high/freshman year]_

  
There's something crawling under Ryan's skin. He doesn't want to put a name to it, but it's a little too close to fear for his own comfort. Spencer's sitting next to him on the bus, backpack in his lap. His arms are wrapped around it, and he's staring out the window, shoulders up near his ears. The tips of his fingers are white where they're digging into his arms. This is comforting to Ryan, despite the tension and the lack of conversation.

The way the route is set up, the high school stop is before the junior high, and it's the first time Ryan will have willingly left Spencer alone on the bus since they started riding together four years ago. Earlier they'd stood there, waiting for the bus to come, in complete silence after their mumbled greetings. It'd had almost been a relief when the bus turned the corner, only they'd clambered on board and then continued sitting in silence.

It's kind of driving Ryan crazy.

"Spence." There's a twitch at his name, but he doesn't turn and look at Ryan.

" _Spencer._ "

Spencer must hear the absolute terror in Ryan's voice because he shifts, turning toward Ryan. His bare arm brushes against Ryan's and Ryan fights the urge to throw his arms around Spencer and hang on for dear life. They don't really do hugs anymore, not since Sarah Thomas made fun of them last summer. But at this moment, Ryan finds that he wants nothing more. Spencer's built for hugs and he misses them when he lets himself think about it.

He stops himself from giving in to the impulse, sliding further down against the vinyl seat. He does let his arm settle solidly against Spencer's. "Did I tell you that Jackie totally wrote me a love poem?"

A look of horror crosses Spencer face and Ryan laughs. The tension eases and he moves a little closer. Over the next few minutes he goes into excruciating detail as the look on Spencer's face gets increasingly appalled. Ryan's about to tease Spencer, tell him about the epic response he's thinking about writing back, when the bus shifts to a halt. Both of them reach up, a hand on the seat back in front of them, to stop themselves. Ryan's voice breaks off in the middle of a sentence.

They're at the high school.

Ryan swallows, looking over. Spencer's mouth is tight, and he looks like he wants to hug Ryan, too.

The bus driver hollers out for the students to get a move on and Ryan can feel the brush as other students exit. Spencer bites his lip and asks softly, the question hesitant, "Come over after school?"

Ryan nods emphatically. "Yeah, yes. Definitely."

The bus driver yells again and Ryan can hear Sarah snickering a couple rows back. Spencer glares over the back of the seat and then pushes at Ryan. "All right, I'll see you then, Ross. Don't get dropped in any dumpsters."

Ryan finally stands, shifting his bag around. He looks over again and Spencer gives him a small smile, confident in him. Nodding, Ryan scoffs, "They don't actually do that outside of ridiculous teenage movies, Spence. You know that, right?"

Before Spencer can retort, the bus driver hollers for Ryan to move it unless he wants to spend another year in junior high. Ryan rolls his eyes, grins one more time at Spencer, and finally walks down the aisle and off the bus.

He's staring at the front of the high school when the bus tires squeal, taking off. Swinging around, he sees Spencer in the window, giving him a ridiculous face and double thumbs up. Ryan rolls his eyes again, shaking his head. Spencer really _is_ a dork. He's not so nervous this time when the turns toward the high school entrance. It's only a year until Spencer will be here with him.

He can totally handle this.

 


End file.
